INHUMAN CONDITIONS IN PRISONS
00:00, February 15, 2007 | Detention Facilities
Prisoners are kept in the Vanadzor Criminal penitentiary institution in inhuman conditions. There is no normal heating, and food is barely enough not to starve.
During the last six months the representatives of non-governmental observers mission have visited Criminal penitentiary institutions and prisons in the northern part of the country in order to investigate the conditions there.
The results are not comforting.
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Investigation of the personal journals of prisoners showed that they are often subjected to physical violence the results of which are often attributed to chance. Let us remind you that as member of the European Convention on tortures, our country has to investigate each case which it does not do.
As a result of the investigations, the Tashir police isolator has been closed and is currently under construction. The building was not heated and the cells did not have proper electricity. According to the head of the Vanadzor office of the Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly Arthur Sakunts, there are prisons were the cells do not even have windows.
Another problem is that of food. According to the Government decision, the prisoners are to be given not only bread, but also fish and meat on a daily basis. Nevertheless, each prisoner is allotted 450AMD a day which is not enough for proper feeding.